


Sleepless

by DuaeCat



Series: HurtComfortverse AU Ficlets [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hurtcomfortverse, Exhaustion, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-27 15:17:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13883568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuaeCat/pseuds/DuaeCat
Summary: The pressures of being the leader of the Paladins is getting to Keith, and it's keeping Pidge up.





	Sleepless

**Author's Note:**

> For an explanation of what hurt/comfortverse is, see this post: https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/302273.html?thread=1717462721#cmt1717462721.
> 
> The short version is - some people in universe (anodyne) are compelled to offer comfort to those they care about, and some people in universe (dysodyne) are compelled to seek out comfort from those they care about.

Pidge woke slowly, blinking into the dim light and confused for a long moment about what had woken her when she was so bone-deep exhausted everything hurt. Then the confusion cleared once she was awake enough to realize it wasn’t her own discomfort she was feeling, and she sat up, rubbing her hand over her face with a groan.   
  
She debated trying to roll over and wait it out, whoever it was had to give up and take care of themselves eventually, right? Except trying to just lay there and ignore it with nothing to distract her was nearly impossible, and with an annoyed huff she got up. There wasn’t an easy way to tell where anyone was in the Castle, but she could use her laptop hookup to do a quick scan of the Castle’s power usage. There was activity in the training room that there shouldn’t have been if it wasn’t in use, and she decided to start her search there. It was possible someone was already in bed and just unable to sleep, but she didn’t think the feeling would be quite so insistent if that were the case.   
  
Pidge wasn’t surprised to find Coran in the observation room, staring at the window quietly. She came up beside him, following his gaze after she easily ruled him out as the source of her discomfort. Keith was going through training simulations, with the sort of clumsy rote movements that suggested he’d been at it for a while, and her whole body ached just watching him.   
  
“Last time I tried to tell him to stop he said he was adding on another varga, I keep thinking he’ll tire himself out eventually,” Coran said conversationally, and Pidge snorted.   
  
“That sounds about right,” she watched him stumble, barely getting his blade up in time, and then reached to turn off the simulation before starting into the room.   
  
“Coran, I told you not to...” Keith trailed off, looking down instead of up. “You’re not Coran,”   
  
“Nope,” Pidge said matter-of-fact, and this close she could see his his arm was shaking with exhaustion trying to keep the blade up.   
  
“I’m fine,” Keith sounded annoyed at the interruption.   
  
“If you were fine I wouldn’t be here.” Pidge shrugged a little. “So lets just make it easier on both of us, just get cleaned up and then you can go to bed.”   
  
“Just go back to bed, Pidge,” Keith shook his head slightly, but he sounded tired and less sure of himself.   
  
“Believe me, if I could I would,” Pidge said, and it was at least partially the truth. She reached out to take his arm and after a long pause Keith deactivated the blade, going with her.   
  


* * *

  
  
Pidge stayed right outside the door as he showered, not quite trusting him not to fall over, but after far too long for her comfort he emerged again, hair damp and out of his armor. He didn’t fight as she led him to bed, sitting down on the edge of it as he tried to wrestle leaden limbs into something of a comfortable position. Later she might be a little embarrassed about hovering, but for the moment it was just a relief to be close and knowing she was helping. It eased the tight ache behind her eyes, and the restless feeling that plagued her. Sometimes, when she was alone too long with her thoughts she wondered if the reason she never sensed her family was just distance, or because they were fine, or because they…  
  
“You can stay, if you want,” Keith’s voice was quiet, and Pidge searched for any sort of teasing or pity in it before deciding it was truly just a good faith offer.  
  
“It is a long walk back,” Pidge pointed out, an easy excuse as she stretched out beside him. She stayed quiet, breathing steadily, just relaxing now that she’d done what she needed to do for the moment.   
  
When Keith rolled over, burying his face in her hair and trembling a little under all the pressures of being forced into leadership far too early she pretended to still be sleeping. It was easier on both of them that way.


End file.
